What’s a little deprivation by the way? And think how I’m blessed in my children. Thank the Lord that He’s given me such children!”

They bent over her and kissed her tears away then lifted her to her feet.

“Come, Mother, let’s go and get supper, all of us together, and forget our troubles. There’ll be a way somehow, and you’re the best little sport of a mother a fellow ever had!” said Thurlow.

The days that followed were full of discoveries. Someone wanted to buy the Reed place and make an apartment house of it. They wanted to get it cheap. Thurlow found that the purchaser was in league with the lawyer who was settling up the estate. The pressure was very strong to insist on the full amount of the personal bond, as the date had gone by without the interest being paid, and technically they could call it a default.

The wily one from the defunct building association made several calls to the home of the bewildered, defenseless family, tightening the meshes of his net each visit. He quoted law at them, and in their inexperience they did not know that some of the laws he quoted did not apply to their case. He pointed out to them that he could hold them to that personal bond for double the amount of the mortgage, and that he could make it impossible for them ever to hold any property, even an automobile or a piano or any valuable furniture, until the full amount was paid. But he intimated that there were ways of compromise. If they were willing to deed over their property to the association, there would be a way of setting them free from this bond.

Thurlow watched the sly eyes of the man as he talked. He felt the man was dishonest. Yet they could not afford to go to another lawyer. There was only one friend in the town who would have helped, and he was out of the question for pride’s sake. And anyway, he was just about to take his family for a trip around the world, and this was no time to apply for help or advice. He was sailing in three days.

Guerdon Sherwood had been their father’s friend since school days. He had always kept his friendship for his boyhood comrade even though he himself had grown rich and influential. He would have done something, the Reeds knew, if the matter had come to his attention. It would be nothing to him to hand over the money that would clear the whole trouble up, and he would probably offer it if he knew.

Yet because they knew this, knew him to be loyal and true to his friend of childhood days, the Reeds would not go to him, would not breathe their trouble to him. They had all agreed on this at once, even that first moment after the fish-eyed lawyer had left them.

“We will not say anything of this to Mr. Sherwood,” said the widow firmly, looking toward her son as if she half feared he would have some intention of doing just that thing.

But Thurlow had instantly seconded her.

“Of course not, Mother! That couldn’t even be a last resort!” said Thurlow decidedly.

“Certainly not!” said Rilla with a proud little lift of her chin.

The mother looked at her two children with misery in her eyes. That would be another thing that was going to make it hard. Thurl had been very friendly with Barbara Sherwood. As children they had been in the same school together, and they had shared some of the same classes in high school. During their senior year they had been inseparable. Rilla had grown fairly close with Betty Sherwood and Chandler, her brother. College had, of course, separated Barbara and Thurlow to a degree, though they had corresponded often, and during vacation the friendliness had been renewed, Thurlow often going down to the shore for the weekend while the Sherwoods occupied their summer cottage. Of course there had been nothing like an engagement or understanding between them, for they were both still in college and many miles were between them, but Thurlow’s mother had watched the growing look of responsibility and gravity in the eyes of her boy, and she wondered now how things were going to be. Would all these radical changes in their lives bring about a sorrow for her son to carry? She looked at him anxiously.

Rilla’s eyes were on her brother, too, and presently in her direct way she asked the question that they all had in their hearts.

“Are you going to New York to see them sail, Thurl?”

She watched the desolation spread suddenly over his grave face and was sorry she had asked him. She had only meant to remind him that he had that question to face, but she might have known he would have thought of it even before she did.

He was still a moment before he answered.